The Cascade Brewery is a brewery established in 1824 in South Hobart, Tasmania that is the oldest continually operating brewery in Australia.

As well as beer, the site also produces a range of non-alcoholic products. It is home to a function centre, as well as operating tourism related ventures including guided tours and a retail outlet.

History

The Cascade estate was originally a saw milling operation, run by a partnership called Macintosh and Degraves Sawmills. The mills began operation in 1825 and the brewery was founded beside the Hobart Rivulet in 1832 by Hugh Macintosh (1776–1834) with his nephews Henry and Charles Degraves while Peter Degraves was in Hobart prison serving a five-year sentence.

Macintosh was a retired East India Company officer who emigrated from England on his ship Hope in 1824 with his business partner Peter Degraves (1778–1852). Degraves was an undischarged bankrupt and a convicted thief. In 1826, charges were laid against Degraves for debts incurred in England, and he was taken into custody until 1832. As a result of Degraves' arrest, Macintosh dissolved the partnership, paid all of the partnership's outstanding debts, and took over the running of the sawmills with his two nephews as well as expanding his farming interests near New Norfolk. Macintosh moved to his farm on the banks for the Derwent River where he pursued his interests in viticulture and Merino sheep.

During this period, Macintosh supported Henry Savery, who wrote Australia's first novel. After Macintosh's death, Degraves continued to expand both the milling and brewing operations at the Cascade, exporting both timber and beer to mainland Australia, particularly to Victoria where the gold rush created huge demands for both timber and beer. Cascade produces a range of beers, apple cider and non-alcoholic beverages including apple juice, blackcurrant syrup and carbonated beverages.

In 1967 the building housing the brewery was almost completely destroyed by the bushfires that devastated south-east Tasmania. With a rebuild to commence in no time at all, the brewery was back up and running a mere three months later.

The image adopted for its label in 1987, Henry Constantine Richter's nineteenth-century illustration of the Tasmanian Tiger is from John Gould's The Mammals of Australia.

Cascade is unique among Australian breweries and rare among breweries worldwide in that it operates its own maltings, producing malt for its mainstream beers (including Premium Lager and Pale Ale) from locally grown barley. Specialty malts for dark beers and the seasonal range are imported from mainland Australia and from overseas. The Cascade name is also given to the sporting event 'The Cascade Cup'.

The Cascade Brewery is designated on the Tasmanian Heritage Register.

Beers

thumb|Featured on the label, the illustration of the [[Tasmanian Tiger from John Gould and Henry Constantine Richter, in The Mammals of Australia]]

Premium range

  • Cascade Premium Lager is an Australian-style lager, hopped with Australian "Summer" hops to give the beer a distinct spicy flavour. Alcohol Content: 4.5% Originally, 5.2%.
  • Cascade Premium Light is a low-alcohol lager, which is currently the biggest selling light beer in Australia. Alcohol Content: 2.6%

Degrave's Collection:

  • Cascade Pale Ale, also known as "green" or simply "Pale", is in fact an Australian-style lager, not an ale. The Pale Ale name has been used since the brewery was established and was originally an ale style beer. The Pale Ale has an excellent balance of the famous "Pride of Ringwood" Hop and Pale Malt giving the beer a fruity mid palette and spicy end palette. Alcohol Content: 5.0% (originally 5.2%)
  • Cascade Stout is a stout beer, commonly drunk by an older audience. The Cascade Stout is brewed with a blend of different malts and grains including roasted barley, which gives the brew chocolate and coffee overtones. Alcohol Content: 5.8%
  • Cascade Blonde is a premium lager beer brewed with a blend of barley and wheat malts, then hopped using the "Cascade" Hop to give a light bitterness. The wheat malt in this brew gives the beer a citrus like mid palette. Alcohol Content: 4.8%
  • Cascade Pure was launched as "Cascade Green" Carbon Neutral Beer in March 2008. It is a low carbohydrate, preservative free beer. Cascade use accredited schemes to offset production emissions, and use vegetable inks on the label and a lightweight bottle. In 2008, it won the Tasmanian Premier's Award for Climate Action. The name change to Cascade Pure took place in November 2010 and was an odd choice after only two years—rival Boags already offer a "Pure" beer. Cascade's media release said the change was "to reflect not only the environmental credentials of the 100 per cent carbon neutral beer and its great taste, neither of which will change, but also the quality of the local Tasmanian ingredients used in the brew with nothing artificial added". Alcohol content: 4.5%

This range was launched in September 2005, it consists of existing products with more focused marketing and labeling. There was a further major overhaul of the brand in 2010.